At this rate it’ll take us a while to get through the England posts, but I had too much fun today not to write a blog post about it. I went home for the weekend to see the family and some old friends, and to eat some good food. I didn’t even bring my camera (shock, horror) as I didn’t know if I’d have time to take pictures (and if I did, I’d just use one of Dad’s cameras!).It’s spring, and Dad’s been staking out the Kowhai tree in our back garden because it’s blooming, meaning the yellow flowers are a buffet for Tui. There’s a territorial individual who tends to chase others away, but when they mob it (20+ at once), it get’s a little difficult for him.

This morning wasn’t looking too promising, Dad had been at it while I walked the dog with Mum and hadn’t had much luck. I hung around outside for about half an hour before much happened. It happened all at once, with a huge flock of them bombarding the tree and driving the ‘owner’ in to a frenzy. He chased them all away eventually, but it was great shooting for a while! Later on Dad had another crack at it and another massive flock came in for a feed. It was great practice and a new experience using the camera on a tripod, which is not something I usually do.

Yes, my leopard hoodie has fluffy ears. Be jealous.